Sunday, May 21, 2017

Taxation is theft by government

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for April 19, 2017)



Tuesday was the day sometimes called "Tax Day"; not exactly a holiday, and about as far from a "holy day" as it's possible to imagine.

Some people get tired of libertarians pointing out that taxation is theft. Particularly those whose paychecks depend on this particular form of theft. Whatever you call it, when someone demands you hand over some of your property, threatening to hurt you in some way if you don't comply, it's not the act of a good person.

How excited were you to pay taxes this year?

Or, if you got some of your own money back, were you grateful for this "gift"? Even in this instance, you weren't paid the interest they owe you for keeping your money tied up. Who else gets to take your money under threat, keep it for months-- or for over a year-- then give it back (after you spend hours on paperwork, or hundreds of dollars, to prove it's yours) without paying interest?

If you believe your neighbors should be forced to fund things you want, against their will if necessary, you are on the wrong side. You are no different than someone who cheers for a mugger because he claims he'll buy them a gift or two with some of the ill-gotten plunder.

Don't fall into the trap of believing that since people have no real choice but to use some of the services and infrastructure paid for with taxes, they have no right to complain. People have every right to use something they paid for, and-- if the payment was coerced-- to complain about it. To think otherwise is selfish.

If you want to fund government services and programs, I would never dream of standing in your way. Send them all the money you want. Why would you wait for a law to tell you how much to send? Just mail a check and feel good about yourself. If more is needed, convince me and others to join in, using your best arguments. With a good enough idea, plenty will be willing to join you and fund it. If the money collected voluntarily isn't sufficient, the program needs to go away.

The only legitimate government would necessarily include whatever government you can finance with donations, without there being any penalties for choosing to not donate.

Government: the only idea so wonderful you have to threaten people with prison-- or worse-- to get them to finance it. No thanks. I'll pass.
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Anti-gun bullies are natural

Anti-gun politicians, bureaucrats, and law-imposer thugs are the natural course of things. They are all anti-gun in reality.

Even the ones who claim to be "pro-gun" and get "A+" endorsements from the "gun rights" groups (which invariably love statism more than liberty) are anti-gun.

If they believe there should be even one "law" concerning gun ownership or possession, they are anti-gun.

If they believe the right to own and to carry a gun depends on "citizenship" or some other statist concept, they are anti-gun.

If they believe someone can lose their right to own and to carry a gun, they are anti-gun.

If they believe the Second Amendment gives anyone a right to "keep and bear arms", they are anti-gun.

If they believe the kind of gun makes any difference, they are anti-gun.

If they insist on guns being banned from the Mundanes in their presence, they are anti-gun.

At it's heart, "anti-gun" really means anti-liberty. They are anti-liberty bigots.

I don't like bigots- not in general.

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This blog, like all of KentforLiberty.com, is reader supported. 
Any donations or subscriptions are GREATLY appreciated! Thank you.